Remote control assemblies utilizing flexible motion transmitting core elements are typically used in automotive, marine and aircraft environments. Such an assembly includes one or more conduits for supporting a single core element. For example, such an assembly is typically used in an automobile to control such things as the throttle (i.e., cruise control), heater, vents, and the like. In applications of this type, it is typically necessary to interconnect two conduits which support the same core element. A practice for the secure connection of such conduits is well known in the art and involves disposing a male end fitting over one end of a first conduit, and disposing a female end fitting on the corresponding end of the second conduit. The male and female end fittings engage telescopically, and are generally held in engagement by some retaining means.
It is often desirable to route one of the conduits in a curved path around some obstruction which is located in the vicinity of the end fitting assembly. Such an obstruction may be a battery, a carburetor or an engine. If the conduit is not routed around such an obstruction, the conduit may interfere with the functioning of the obstruction (e.g., if the obstruction has moving parts), or the obstruction could damage the conduit (e.g., if the obstruction becomes hot during its operation). By routing the conduit around such obstructions, problems of this type can be avoided.
As shown in FIG. 5, U.S. Pat. No. 4,860,609 to Spease discloses a cable end fitting assembly 200. The assembly 200 includes a flexible conduit 216 attached to a male end fitting 220 and a female end fitting 230 attached to a second conduit 238. The assembly 200 also includes retaining means 250 to prevent relative axial movement between the flexible conduit 216 and the second conduit 238 once the male end fitting 220 engages with the female end fitting 230. The second conduit 238 is rigid and is fixed to the support structure 290. The conduit 216 may be flexed to curve around an obstruction 280, but the assembly 200 fails to preserve the desired routing of the flexible conduit 216 because the conduit 216 may flex back to its original position or to some other curved position. Even if the curve were enforced by a rigid curved sleeve around part of the conduit 216, the routing of the conduit could change since the conduit 216 can rotate with respect to the second conduit 238. The routing can vary because the cross section of the end fitting assembly 200 is circular: the male end fitting 220 can rotate with respect to the female end fitting 230.